Holidays in Kenya:

            Kenya and the greater East African region have an incredible commitment to relaxation, especially when it comes to the holiday season. Even before I came here, I was aware of corporate Kenya’s two week hiatus in December. There are two places to go during holidays: up-country to your family’s home and the coast.

Most of the people that live in Nairobi are first or second generation city dwellers, which mean they still have a family farm somewhere in the rural parts of the country. The grandparents, parents and other family members live at the “family home,” this is the language used to describe where a person comes from. You may live somewhere else but your home is where you came from and where your heritage lies. So, like many cultures, Kenyan’s travel to their roots to celebrate the birth of Jesus (most Kenyan’s are extremely religious) with their beloved family members. This is under the assumption people have the means for public fare or personal transportation.

If a family is lucky enough or frugal enough to afford a proper holiday, they travel to coast. (Notice I did not say “the coast.” Kenyan’s don’t say they were at “the coast,” they say they were “in coast” – trying to fit in here, people!) The traffic jams of Nairobi shift to Mombasa as most Nairobians retreat to the sun-filled, ocean view of the coast. While Americans and Europeans go to tropical destinations to soak up the sun and enjoy the beautiful environment, Kenyans enjoy the air-conditioned hotel rooms until the sun retreats in the late afternoon. The beaches are lined with mzungus sunbathing all day until the time when the waters are filled with African’s taking their afternoon dips in the salty sea.

Wherever one finds themselves during the December break, spending time while relaxing with family, friends and good food is the most important thing of all. After all of the Christmas festivities and New Year parties, everyone can go back to school or work refreshed and filled with the memories of a great holiday season.

Law Enforcement?

In this post there are two videos that will shed light on the corruption that thrives within the Kenyan Police system. They are the people who are supposed to enforce the laws and uphold the protection of Kenyan's rights but instead are the leaders who fuel and sustain thievery on the ground. In the U.S., being a police officer is the job of a hero. Men and women in uniform are looked up to, respected and valued as a member of society. Here, holding a position within the police force is done as a last resort to provide the basic needs of life.Their monthly salary is around 20,000ksh ($250usd) which is equivalent to the stipend that KNCHR interns receive. There are measures being taken to increase the salary and other conditions for security sector employees but in general, the morale and commitment to their duties are extremely low. Police make up for the lack of internal support by stealing the money directly from the citizens pockets (see 1st video). Kenyan's have no respect for these corrupt bodies (see 2nd video) as they continue to break down progress made within the country. With the new constitution, Kenyans are granted freedoms under the Bill of rights but also need to be made aware that Rights come with Responsibilities. There is urgent need of Human Rights training, and change of the way policing is done.

Police Abusing the System


NTV is a Kenyan news corporation which carried the above story. Watch and see as the system that is supposed to be upholding and enforcing the laws of Kenya fuel the systems of corruption. Police Reform in Kenya should be at the top of everyone's list in order for the country to develop to it's full potential.
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In the Next Video, the driver was flagged down by the traffic policeman for a routine check and inspection. He was instructed to drive to the police station but refused, resulting in this battle. Roadside officers do not carry weapons and are the same individuals shown in the 1st video. Notice the people at the matatu stage just watching and heckling the officer as he struggles to detain the driver. The video below raises many Human Rights issues both for members of the public and police officers.

Police being Abused



ARTICLE: NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 13 -
A traffic police officer found himself on the receiving end in Nairobi, after a motorist he had flagged down for an alleged traffic offense rained blows on him in full view of a cheering crowd. Members of the public were treated to a rare movie-like scene when the truck driver left the lorry in the middle of the busy Thika-Nairobi Highway.Witnesses told GBS television the officer had flagged the truck down and soon after inspecting it, attempted to board it after ordering that it be driven to the Kasarani police station. The 7 am incident that occurred on Wednesday caused a traffic snarl up on the busy highway that is under construction as motorists slowed down to catch a glimpse of the unusual scenario. Some passengers in matatus heckled and booed the officer who unsuccessfully tried to handcuff the truck driver.Other people just watched in disbelief and not even matatu conductors who gathered at the scene helped the policeman out. In the incident that lasted for over 10 minutes, the truck driver managed to drive away but was arrested a few meters away by other traffic police officers who helped take their colleague to hospital.

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UPDATE:  January 19 2011

As I key in the year 2011, I am stupefied at the content in the following story. I would think such happenings are a part of the distant past in our globalized society - then again I am an American who happens to forget the unfortunate (understatement) circumstances other countries face daily. Note to all who are reading this: I promise I am safe!!!!

Police Abuse the Right to Life - Three men executed in Nairobi

Take the link to the News Story with details in pictures of three men wrongfully executed by the Kenyan Police. The pictures that are up now are not the same as the ones published in the newspaper on Thursday, January 20th - those published were not censored and unveiled the brutal murder scene in bloody detail.

A day before this happened, our commission held a press conference to denounce the abuse of those who serve within Kenya's security sector. You can imagine our commissioners astonishment when they woke up to the news of "the executions" in Nairobi. Kenya's people are disgusted, heartbroken and completely unsurprised by the news of such events. Luckily, I work in an institution that can do something about such events. We are holding a press conference tomorrow and are also energized to push even harder as we initiate some of our security sector reform projects. I will surely update this post as the events ensue.

From the story, it is understood the police have been issuing false statements that completely contradict the original eye witness evidence. This proves the point, again, of how corrupt the law enforcement system is. Imagine a person has footage, documentation and other proof of such cases - where do they go to report these offenses? Do they go to the police station where the protocol is to cover up anyone's dirty, or bloody, tracks in order to remain in a position of power? Are these tactics and strategies of law enforcement actually taught while these men and women go through academy training?

The follow up article HERE answers some of these questions but leaves much doubt in the road to justice for the three men who were shot so carelessly.

Throughout all of the New Constitution Implementation and Realization of Democratic Rights granted to the Kenyan Citizens, I strongly believe no progress will be made in this country unless the entire security sector is wiped out, rebuilt and reformed. After all, they are the body that enforces these new laws so they should be the upstanding citizens setting examples for the entire country. But how?

Work.

As I am coming up on my halfway point in Kenya, I figured it was a good time to reflect on my international internship and evaluate the progress of my position within The National Commission.

            Before traveling to Kenya, I had no idea the KNCHR was as developed and progressive as it is. KNCHR is a model for other national human rights institutions throughout Africa. We are doing things right and marching forward to advance the realization of the country’s potential and enhance the lives of Kenyans. The first day of work, I was shocked to see people in suits, even the women. I was not prepared and have really never worked in such an environment which makes this experience even more educational. Most of my experience has been at the grass-rooted community level and now I find myself on the opposite end as The Commission deals with policy reform, public education and programming; a “top-down” approach compared to the “bottom-up” strategies of my previous experiences.

This has proven to be a major work challenge for me, as I have a very different picture of problem solving within the humanitarian realm. I was taught the value of conversations in order to broaden networks and work together to solve problems but am not in a position to hold such meetings. Though our office does work in the field, our mandate and the nature of the work keeps us at a higher level. We network, facilitate, train and support the community organizations established throughout the country while writing, enforcing and promoting government level policy.

The KNCHR’s work is informed by people on the ground who are in the roles that I have the most experience with. At first, I felt powerless within The Commission due to the lack of personal interaction on the ground. Now, I am beginning to realize that the efforts of this work have the same spirit, just within a different rung on the social change ladder.  I am learning what happens at the top which informs my growing understanding of the multi-level social change processes.

            Though the work is a new experience, I have found myself in a very familiar role facilitating, leading and organizing among my peers. I am heading the organization of an East African Human Rights Defender Conference, the biggest project of our department at the moment. I began fulfilling this group role as a member of student council in high school which led me to enroll in leadership classes and complete the Leadership Minor at the University of Minnesota. (Familiar story?) My active involvement in developing the skills and social consciousness to manage group work and accomplish common goals has given me the confidence to assume this role in a challenging environment. It took three months of learning and observing within the commission to obtain my own responsibilities.

It feels great to contribute my best attributes within our department’s projects and I feel very comfortable in the work environment. I am given positive feedback from my superiors, outside partners and peers. I really value their priceless affirmations and feel like a significant part of a team. Inclusion, even as a child, is a social phenomenon that I find most valuable as it is a reaffirming gesture of my presence and interactions within the world. Luckily, Kenyan’s are unbelievably interested in getting to know one another and showing the utmost hospitality, always. I am truly blessed to be among such positively moral people. I have said this before and am going to say it again: the Western world should take a few notes from the people of East Africa in regards to the value of people and meaning of life.

Moving forward to the second half of my internship with The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, I have a few goals for myself:

1)      Get involved in a conceptual project

a.       Constitution education within schools

b.      Parole programs within the security sector

c.       Leadership workshops for the great society

2)      Complete a research paper

3)      Get to know more people within the commission

a.       Eat lunch with two new people per week

b.      Meet with each of the commissioners individually

c.       Meet with heads of departments to understand the breadth of the Commission’s work and get involved in other projects

4)      Sit up straight at my desk while avoiding touching my face (most often my acne is presumed to be mosquito bites – HAHA)

5)      Try to use only 1 scoop of sugar in my tea as opposed to the normal 2 J